


Lights, Camera, I Do

by chihae



Category: BTOB
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-06-16 13:29:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15438063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chihae/pseuds/chihae
Summary: A representative from MBC confirms that 'We Got Married' one of the nation's most popular variety shows is returning to television after five years! He stated that there will be four couples, withrising actor Yook Sungjaeand93 days' Lee Changsubas the first revealed virtual couple. “Their meeting will be revealed through a broadcast soon. Please give great interest and love to the new couples joining and the revival of 'We Got Married'."





	1. Prologue: It's Time for the Talk, Marriage Talk

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank MBC for making it possible to write a celebrity fake dating au. And also a huge thanks to [jijal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jijal/pseuds/jijal) for being my beta and cheerleader, bless your heart for reading my rants and drafts; I am eternally grateful.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Changsub takes one for the team and Minhyuk is a reckless driver.

It all starts innocuously, with the Sailor Moon theme song blasting from his phone at 7:43am. Changsub, prematurely pulled out of sleep, fumbles for his phone and squints at the caller ID that says “Momager Lee”. “It is too damn early to be alive right now Minhyuk hyung,” he answers, voice hoarse from slumber.

He hears a chuckle, the morning bird bastard. “I know Changsub, but I have something exciting to share with you.”

“Something that can’t be said over text?” he bemoans.

“Nope,” he chirps, “Get ready; I’ll be there in 20. And wear your nicest clothes, I mean it.” And with a beep, the phone call ends. 

Changsub stares incredulously at his phone before groaning into pillow. Whatever his manager has planned for him better worth it, he thinks as he pushes himself off his bed and cleans himself up. 

Exactly 20 minutes later, Minhyuk casually walks through his door, to Changsub in jeans and a white t-shirt with a small gochujang stain on the collar. He frowns. “I told you to wear your nicest clothes.”

Changsub crosses his arms. “These are my cleanest ones,” he retorts defensively. 

Minhyuk pinches his nosebridge. “How are you still alive after you moving out of your mother’s?”

He actually is doing just fine without his mother thank you very much. Except for that one time he asked his mom how to clean out gochujang stains from his clothes, but his manager doesn't need to know that. “Just tell me what’s going on; why do I need to dress up?” he asks, exasperated.

“You’re going on ‘We Got Married’.”

Changsub blinks. 

And blinks again. 

“Come again?”

“We. Got. Married,” Minhyuk slowly repeats with hands on hips, as if Changsub regressed back to being a five year old. “They’re rebooting it and they offered you to be on the show. We’re going to meet with the PD within the next hour; so close your mouth and change your shirt.” He walks up to Changsub to guide him back to his room but Changsub puts his hands up to stop him.

“But why me?” he asks, eyebrows furrowing. “I’m not exactly on the public’s radar.” 

“You’re not,” Minhyuk confirms. “But, the company thinks that this will accomplish that and ultimately bring more exposure to 93 days.”

93 days: a band consisting of him, Hyunsik, and Donggeun; three university students who decided to take their passion for music to busking on the streets of Hongdae, covering songs from the classics to Hot 100 and even sang some of their own works. They had a handful of self-composed songs, all resulting from many late night practices and texts about chord progressions and lyric changes. It was a simpler time; they always had a small crowd gathered around them for a few hours until the people dissipate and they pack up their equipment to repeat the routine three times a week. They were all content with what they had despite the uncertainty of the future. 

Then change came in a form of a man around their age, introducing himself as Lee Minhyuk, handing them a business card. “You guys are good, have a lot of potential. I think you’ll make it big and we want to help you get there. Consider it,” he says. 

The business card, a tiny laminated piece of paper, suddenly felt heavy in Changsub’s hands. It was hidden in the bottom of Donggeun’s drawer for a week but there was never a single moment of the invitation leaving their minds. 

Five days later, they called Minhyuk. 

Two weeks later, they signed a contract with the company that has been their metaphorical home for the last five years. 

They debuted one year after with an album that barely broke Top 50. That day, they celebrated with samgyeopsal with promises that it would be all uphill from there. Their debut album consistently stayed in Top 50 for three months, giving them decent enough public recognition where people can recognize their songs in cafes but they can still roam around the city freely. Changsub has a taste of what success is like and he wants more. 

The next two albums didn’t even reach Top 50. Disheartening was an understatement for all three of them. They were frustrated and it showed in their work. Lyrics were written, crossed out, rewritten and eventually tossed and there were more audio files inside their PC's recycle bin than outside. Changsub would be lying if he said quitting had never crossed his mind during this time. 

Then came the breakthrough; six months ago, they released an EP that entered 15th place on the charts. It was one of the most memorable moments for Changsub; he’ll never forget how clammy his palms were as he stared at his phone in his dark bedroom in the middle of the night, waiting for the data to be released. He’ll never forget how he screamed and woke up his mother; how he called Hyunsik and Donggeun who were as gleeful and ecstatic as him; the congratulatory texts from Minhyuk and the company CEO. Their songs are still playing in cafes and people are starting to recognize them on the streets. It was exhilarating like before but also terrifying because they now have the knowledge that this new success could all easily slip away.

Throughout their career, they appeared on radio shows and some music shows to promote but never variety shows because their management wanted to given an image that they are solely music focused. 

Until now. 

“If the general public gets to know you as a person instead of a musician, then there’s a higher probability they’ll listen to your music and increase your fanbase. It’s been six months since the EP and we should keep their attention on you while you’re not promoting musically,” Minhyuk explains.

That makes sense, Changsub thinks. Except. “Why not Donggeun? Or Hyunsik?” They're way more personable than him and would be a much better fit on television. 

“Hyunsik is going to be busy with producing for the other groups in the company and Donggeun is going back to the States during filming.” Minhyuk pauses. “They also specifically asked for you. Likely because you’re the frontman of the band so people would immediately recognize you first. You’re the face of the group, it’s the most obvious choice for them.” 

“Oh,” says Changsub. Minhyuk is right—he would be the most recognizable out of their band, but this is a show where he has to pretend to have _romantic feelings_ for the other. His acting skills are amateur at best if you count the pranks he feigned to have no part of back in high school except he was still caught in the end so that’s worth nothing. Hyunsik and Donggeun have said multiple times in the past that he reads like an open book. What makes them think he can pull off fake dating someone on national television? Plus his romantic life, well, it’s practically nonexistent since he signed with his management; he was juggling school and practice with barely any time to rest and after graduating he just never found an interest in dating again, preferring to spend time in the practice room or just game late into the night with his friends.

“Hey.” Changsub looks up to Minhyuk giving him a reassuring smile. “I know this is a lot right now. You can always back out if you’re not up for it during this meeting.” “But this would be a great opportunity that may only come once” goes unsaid but Changsub hears it crystal clear.

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes; it's now or never. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“I’ll do it.” He looks at Minhyuk straight in the eyes, fists clenched. “I’ll join ‘We Got Married’.”

Minhyuk bursts out laughing. “You don’t need to be so dramatic about it; it’s not like you’re going to the army again." He wipes away a tear. “You’ll be fine Changsub-ah; everyone will love you. They picked you for a reason.” He pats his shoulder. 

Changsub is 80 percent unconvinced but decides not to press further. “If you say so, hyung.” 

And with that, Minhyuk ushers him back to his room to switch into a more appropriate shirt, because if they’re going to be late for the meeting with the PD at least he’ll be fashionably late. 

He eventually finds a clean blue dress shirt from the depths of his closet, wrinkled but the summer humidity will smooth it within five minutes of being outside. Changsub puts it on and steps out to Minhyuk who gives him an approving nod. 

They head into the car with Minhyuk driving and Changsub at the passenger’s and get out of the parking lot. This is when Changsub, oh naive, dumb Changsub, realizes with trepidation there is a very _very_ important detail missing from all this. 

“Hyung?” he calls, turning to the other.

“Yeah?” Minhyuk replies distractedly. 

“Who’s going to be my partner?” Because if it's someone he can't tolerate, he say goodbye to this publicity opportunity and hello disbandment because Changsub's (shit) acting can do so much to hide his annoyance. Maybe he should talk to the company's acting coach. 

Minhyuk doesn't respond, solely concentrating on cutting across three traffic lanes in one go. The anticipation from both not knowing his fake partner and Minhyuk's driving makes Changsub tug on his ripped jeans with one hand and reaching for the safety handle bar with the other. 

Impressively, only two cars honk at Minhyuk as he enters the farthest left lane which Changsub considers a significant improvement compared to just last week when one driver wanted to physically fight his manager. 

They reach a red light and Minhyuk finally _finally_ turns to him and says: 

“Your partner's Yook Sungjae.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changsub/Hyunsik/Peniel's band name comes from the number of days between Changsub's-Hyunsik's and Hyunsik's-Peniel's birthdays: 9 and 3. Sounds indie-rock enough right??
> 
> Also,,,,, if you want to here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/seathreesea) where I just (barely) shitpost and talk abt potential aus.
> 
> Another note: probably inconsistent updates because I'm still trying to work out some of the plot points for this so,,,,,,yeah


	2. The Prenup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Changsub, your local frontman with no idea what's to come, and Sungjae, the famous actor who's racking up sleep debt, meet for the first time.

There are three things Changsub knows about Yook Sungjae:

1\. Yook Sungjae is South Korea’s current sweetheart. He’s praised by both young and old for his striking looks and his exceptional acting (yes, in that order). Even his mother, who rarely watches dramas, mentions how good-looking and endearing he is and how she wants a son like him when they saw a preview of Sungjae’s current drama on TV. No, he’s not bitter about his own flesh and blood betraying him like this.

2\. His career began two years ago and with his breakthrough role in _Dokkaebi_ late last year, he became a household name practically overnight. Now his bright smiling face is plastered on almost every single billboard in Seoul and he’s starred in so many commercials that it’s almost unusual to _not_ to see him in one. See 1.

3\. Changsub would be a liar if he doesn’t think the actor is attractive. He’s not _blind_. 

And while he’s on the honest train, he’ll admit he’s also feeling a little (read: very) intimidated that he has to pretend to be in a relationship with someone so popular and very well loved. Why did they decide to choose him of all people to pair up with Sungjae?

And speak of the devil: Yook Sungjae strides, _strides_ , into the conference room, wearing designer sunglasses and what appears to be the world’s most hideous, brightest neon green t-shirt Changsub has ever laid eyes on.

He can feel his retinas burning, so perhaps he is going blind.

Sungjae’s also wearing socks with sandals. Balenciaga sandals. There is so much wrong with his outfit that Changsub doesn’t even know where to start. He can clearly hear Donggeun yelling, “What are thoseeee?” in his head. 

So far, this is Changsub’s first impression of Sungjae: very questionable fashion tastes; but it doesn’t matter because he’s rich and handsome. (And famous, he can’t leave out that quality.) Which is unfair because when Changsub makes _unique_ fashion choices all he gets is unfiltered criticism and forced to change clothes before going out in public. 

Life is cruel.

He feels an elbow sharply jab his ribs a little too strong and winces. “Stop making that face; he’s coming over,” Minhyuk whispers harshly.

He frowns harder. “I’m not making a face–”

His rebuttal gets cut short as the tennis ball known as Sungjae walks over and sits down in the chair across from Changsub and Minhyuk. He gives a small bow—with Minhyuk and Changsub stiffly returning the acknowledgement—and without a single word, turns his chair away to face the front with his arms crossed. No introductions, not even a “hi”.

Changsub and Minhyuk share a quick look with each other; Changsub telepathically saying, “What the hell do I do?” and Minhyuk’s eyes reading “Say hi to him” or “I forgot to tell my dog I love her before I left today.” It could go either way; Changsub’s mixed them up before.

He turns back to the actor. While thrown off by his …standoffish behavior, it’s not enough to deter Changsub from interacting with his future fake spouse like a normal human being.

He clears his throat and Sungjae turns his head toward him, eyebrows peeking above his frames. He can practically feel the judgment, even with Sungjae’s eyes covered by his pretentious, douchebag Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses. What is the deal with this guy, he thinks.

He holds his hand out with the biggest smile he can muster, ready to introduce himself (because he is a professional and needs to leave a good impression) only to be interrupted by footsteps and an uproarious voice entering the room, effectively shooting down Changsub’s attempt at greeting himself to Sungjae.

A man with blond hair slicked back and wearing a sharp, slim plaid suit walks to the front of the room. “Looks like everyone’s here. Let’s get started; my name is Jung Ilhoon and I’m the main writer and director for Sungjae-ssi’s and Changsub-ssi’s segments aka the best segments on this godforsaken show.” There’s some awkward half-laughs, waiting for the director to admit it’s a joke; instead, he continues talking. “I know I met with you all individually within the last few weeks but I’m glad everyone is able to make it here today. I’ll let the main stars introduce themselves before we get started on talking more about the logistics.”

Ilhoon gestures to Changsub to introduce himself.

He scrambles out of his seat and bows to the room, barely registering the claps he’s receiving over the pounding of his ears. “My name is Lee Changsub and this will be my first variety appearance; I’ll be under your care and do my best. Thank you,” he rushes out before planting himself back in his chair. Minhyuk pats his back in comfort. He sneaks a glance at Sungjae, whose lips are pursed back and his shoulders shaking. The actor’s holding in his laughter and Changsub can’t tell if that’s a good or bad thing. 

“Thank you, Changsub-ssi. And rest assured you’ll be fine; there is a wonderful thing called editing,” Ilhoon says with a closed-lipped smile (which Changsub can’t tell if he’s being condescending or not) and looks over to Sungjae.

The actor stands up, takes off his sunglasses revealing dark circles, puffy eyelids, and red-rimmed eyes, and smiles sheepishly. “Please excuse my appearance today; I just came back from Barcelona this morning and I wasn’t able to get much sleep on the plane,” he says.

Oh, that explains, well, everything. Changsub grimaces in sympathy. 

He bows to the room. “I’m Yook Sungjae. I would like to thank you all for this opportunity; I used to watch ‘We Got Married’ in the past and I was more than happy when I was to be asked to join the program. I look forward to working with everyone here, especially with my husband.” His eyes flicker to Changsub and then–

He _winks_ at him. 

Changsub feels his mouth drop; gaping indignantly as the room fills with lighthearted laughs. Even Minhyuk is snickering beside him, the traitor. He subtly elbows him as payback. 

“Ah, Sungjae-ssi you sure know how to lighten up the mood,” Ilhoon says when the laughter dies down, “especially since you just came straight here from the airport.” He shakes his head, clicking his tongue. “You celebrities have the worst schedules.” 

Changsub turns to Minhyuk, mouthing “from the airport?” because to come here after a flight? That’s either crazy dedication or dedicatedly crazy. He disappointingly only gets an exaggerated frown and half-hearted shrug in response. 

“That being said, let’s go over what’s to come for filming this show.” 

 

_Stacks of paper are thrown onto the desk, making Changsub jump._

_“Sorry about that,” Ilhoon absently says, sitting down on his office chair. The chair squeaks loudly as he swivels himself to face both Changsub and Minhyuk, reminding Changsub on how…compact Jung Ilhoon’s office is. It’s not that the room is unorganized; it’s just tiny. There’s just enough room for a shelf, desk, and the three of them._

_He takes one of the packets with ‘We Got Married: Yook Sungjae and Lee Changsub’ printed on the front page and quickly flips through the pages, catching words like “travel”, “dates”, and “proposal”. He tries to recall the few episodes he’s watched in the past; one of them involved the couple “living together” in an apartment to create this pseudo-domestic atmosphere: they cooked dinner together side by side, wind down on the couch with some conversation that’s supposed to convey bonding and a growing sense of attachment with one another, followed by heading off to bed together. The chemistry between the couple came off a bit forced and awkward, in his (and his mother’s) opinion._

_Who thought this show was a good idea again?_

_“As I said in the email, the filming schedule will be two days every two weeks. We’ll film the first two episodes before the press conference on the twentieth. Sungjae-ssi already sent me his schedule and he’s available Wednesdays and Thursdays while you’re free everyday except Sundays and Mondays.”_

_“So it works out perfectly,” Minhyuk concludes._

_Ilhoon nods, leaning back into his chair. It squeaks again. “It does. And two days may not seem like a lot but considering that you’re sharing the broadcast time with other couples, we can spread out the events in a manageable manner. We’ll go over all of this again next week with everyone else as a reminder.” He looks straight at Changsub. “Hope your passport isn’t expiring soon Changsub-ssi.”_

_He frowns. “Where would we be going?”_

_“Japan, for your honeymoon,” Ilhoon gestures at the papers in Changsub’s hand. “It’s on page twelve in that packet. As well as other future episodes such as your wedding, wedding photoshoot, living-together domesticity, we’ve got the basics covered but-!” he holds up a finger, “We still have flexibility to add more episodes depending on the reception we get in the next six months.”_

_“But,” Minhyuk ventures, eyebrows quirk in confusion, “I’m assuming with Sungjae and the show being revived–those would definitely bring in a lot of viewers no?”_

_“Yeah, for the first few episodes.” He shrugs his shoulders. “In this field, we can’t really predict the longevity of success right?” He quickly glances at Changsub, making him squirm in his seat because that hit a bit close to home, before turning back to Minhyuk. “Sure, we have one of the most popular actors in the country on this show but he could be dropping this right at the six month mark because this might not be worth it to him.”_

_Minhyuk nods, leaning back with arms crossed. “That makes sense,” he says, more to himself._

_Ilhoon turns to Changsub with a lofty smile on his face like a cat that just got caught a mouse. “So Changsub-ssi, are you still willing to sign on as a ‘We Got Married’ cast member?”_

_Changsub purses his lips. “Actually, I have a question,” he starts and Ilhoon waves his hand to continue. “Why me? Why not someone else who is just as popular as Sungjae, like an idol? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but me and my bandmates- aren’t known for our variety skills.”_

_Changsub swears he just saw something flicker in Ilhoon’s eyes but the other’s face only shows indifference. “That’s a good question.” He lifts his hands up, showing he’s open and has nothing to hide. “I’ll be honest with you two: I did not have a choice in this. Someone else requested it and I’m just the poor lackey who’s got to work with what he’s got. I just write and direct the episodes as best as I can and do what I’m told.” He tacks on a tightlipped smile. “That’s all I can say, really.”_

_Translation: some higher-up in MBC decided this. Changsub looks at Minhyuk, who gives an encouraging nudge. He thinks about what his manager said earlier, about how this show could bring more publicity to 93 days and–_

_“Oh I forgot to mention,” Ilhoon interrupts his train of thought, “there will definitely be an episode that showcases your singing, Changsub-ssi, one of the earlier ones. So the audience will definitely be exposed to your band’s music, no doubt about that.”_

_Well, that conveniently settles that concern. What’s the worst that can happen now? Show doesn’t do well and they just move on with their lives after six months._

_Changsub sighs, shoving that tiny nagging feeling into the far, far back recess of his mind. “Where do I sign the contract?”_

_Ilhoon smirks, sliding the contract forward on the desk–which is more of a three centimeter nudge because it’s not that much of a distance between him and Changsub. “Looking forward to working with you, Lee Changsub. I’ll make sure you and Yook Sungjae will have a happy marriage.”_

 

Changsub’s eyes trail over to Sungjae, who’s laser-focusing on whatever comes out of Ilhoon’s mouth. He can see why the other is so heralded for his appearance: sharp jawline, straight and slender nose, and high cheekbones, he’s got all the handsome features guaranteed to make any heart flutter. 1080p screens and magazine shoots don’t do him justice, Changsub concludes from his seat, a mere five feet away.

Aside from Sungjae’s beauty and ...interesting fashion, he looks like a hard worker; despite this whole gig being a variety show that requires no script memorization or award-winning acting, he’s taking it seriously. Maybe it won’t be all that bad working with him: he’s got the looks, acting skills, and even comedic timing. All he’s got to do is be professional with him and– 

Sungjae turns. Changsub’s frozen in place, unable to turn away as the other’s sharp eyes lock with his own. Okay, he’s going to play it cool even though he was just caught red-handed staring at the actor. 

Sungjae face twists into a scowl. He mouths “what” with a judgmental glare to boot. 

Changsub feels the hot flush of humiliation burn his ears. Before he can make a move to save himself, Sungjae subtly pointing towards Ilhoon’s direction. He whispers, “Pay attention,” and turns back to the front with crossed arms. 

So much for being professional. Yook Sungjae is clearly not in the business of being friends with him and Changsub just absolutely grade-A Tanked™ his own first impression with the actor. 

Changsub tries to subtly sink into his chair and escape this plane of existence. This is not going to end well.

 

“That went well!” Minhyuk exclaims enthusiastically as they walk out of the MBC building.

Changsub huffs. He avoided looking back at Sungjae for the rest of the meeting and thanked his stars when the other rushed out of the room as soon as Ilhoon dismissed everyone because he has another appointment to attend right after this one. Ilhoon’s right: celebrities truly do have the worst schedules. 

“Yeah,” Changsub mutters, shielding his eyes from the sunlight before pulling out his phone. He breathes sigh of relief when he finds his notifications are empty, save for the few unread messages from his mom and bandmates. When MBC publicly announced him joining ‘We Got Married’ along with his new “husband” last week, his phone froze for _hours_ thanks to the mass onslaught of SNS notifications, texts, and calls he was receiving from his bandmates, family members, friends (both close and distant), and even that one classmate he barely talked to back in high school. He spent the night with a fire extinguisher by his side in case his phone decided to spontaneously combust into flames. Hyunsik and Donggeun broke out into laughter and tears, finding joy in his misery when he mournfully recounted his eventful night to them, those soulless bastards. Speaking of which–

Me:  
omw to practice room  
be there in 30

Hyunsikkie:  
already? how did the meeting go  
how was meeting the famous yook sungjae?

Donggeunnie <3:  
Will be a running late.  
I just got back from the gym and I still need to feed Pennie.

“Oh, are you texting Hyunsik and Donggeun?” asks Minhyuk, starting the car. Changsub gives an affirmative hum while putting his seatbelt on with one hand. “Do they need a ride?”

“They’re probably going to say no because you’re driving.” Minhyuk makes an indignant “hey!” from the driver’s seat. “But I’ll ask.”

Me:  
it was whatever, just talking about the potential episodes, when we’re filming, blahblahblah  
he’s….an interesting guy.  
donggeun-ah, y won’t u feed me  
i can pick u guys up on the way 

Hyunsikkie:  
it’s ok i’m almost at the studio

Donggeunie <3:  
No.  
Wait, isn’t Minhyuk driving?

Me:  
yes

Donggeunie <3:  
No, I’m good. Don’t want to glared at by others again, especially that one ahjusshi.  
That stare when he rolled down that window still gives me the creeps to this day.

“They both said no, they’ll get there on their own.” He decides to benevolently omit Donggeun’s comment. 

In his periphery, Minhyuk pouts.

Hyunsikkie:  
don’t die hyung  
u haven’t even gotten married yet  
what do u mean interesting?

Me:  
hey hyung’s getting better  
he only ran two red lights on the way to MBC today and i only thought about breaking out of the car once  
he seems very focused on his work.. he didn’t want to talk to me or hyung  
but he did tell everyone he just came back from barbicoa or something this morning so idk  
i’ll tell u more abt him later

Donggeunie <3:  
Sounds like he was too tired to function lol. Maybe he’ll be more sociable next time?  
Also did you mean Barcelona hyung? What’s barbicoa? Lol  
I’ll just meet you guys there.

Hyunsikkie:  
lol  
ok see u guys later  
we can talk more about changsub’s show after recording

With a soft sigh, Changsub locks his phone, puts it back in his pocket. What did he get himself into? He briefly contemplates on rolling down the window and jumping out of the car for the second time today. Instead, he tightly grips the safety handle bar and closes his eyes, accepting his fate.

 

“Hyung,” Hyunsik says through the intercom, “for the fourth and sixteenth bars, can you make the chord progression more pronounced?”

Changsub says “okay” and pencils in the changes on the music sheet before adjusting himself back to his bass. They finally reached the tracking portion of this song after months and months of writing and pre-production; and with the way Changsub’s progressing through this portion they’ll probably start recording the vocals in about a week or two after Hyunsik’s guitar part. 

Now, that’s something he’s excited for. 

“Okay, gonna start again.”

He plays through the song for the nth time (he lost count after the sixth time), his nimble fingers sliding across the fretboard and the strings, following along the rhythm drumming in his headphones courtesy of Donggeun’s session from last week. Music has always been a part of him and while holding in an instrument in his hands is almost second nature to him, singing is his true calling. Spending almost every afternoon after middle and high school in the noraebang bar and belting out to classics was one of his fondest memories. The human voice is so versatile and even (if he's going to be romantic) magical; it can convey so many emotions and easily sway an audience if done right. It’s enthralling and yeah, it’s cheesy but it’s what makes him feel _alive_. He wonders if he can express that properly on TV, if the people watching the show would be able to see that from him and actually like it. 

“That’s perfect, hyung,” Hyunsik says into the mic, his cheery tone heard crystal clear in the recording room. “We’re done for the day.”

Changsub pulls off his headphones and unplugs his bass, carefully placing it back in its case.  
“Finally,” he says when he walks out to the others, “I’ve been starving since the fourth run-through.” Minhyuk pats him on the back.

“Yeah, I’ve been hearing your stomach growl in the background while playing,” Hyunsik teases. Donggeun snorts and Changsub sticks his tongue out at them. “Let’s get budaejjigae. Minhyuk hyung, you coming?”

Their manager waves them off. “I’m good. You guys have fun and rest. Call me if you need a ride,” he calls out. 

“Yes, hyung,” they reply in unison, expressing varying levels of fond exasperation from exaggerated rolled eyes to fake tired sighs as the studio door closing behind them. 

 

This sure hits the spot, Changsub thinks as he inhales the ramyeon. Some of the soup splatters onto his shirt but he pays no heed; he knows how to get rid of these kinds of stains. 

The three have not said a single word since the stew came out, solely focused on satiating their appetite while the background noise of boiling stews and conversations between families, friends, and couples fill the restaurant. They’ve been coming to this restaurant since their university days, when they’re momentarily free from exams and more than ready to chug down some soju. The elderly couple that owns the place are sweet and even snuck them some extra meat occasionally. It provides comfort in both space and food form. 

Hyunsik breaks the silence. “So, hyung,” he says as he grabs more soup, making sure to grab some more tteokkbokki in the ladle. “How was the meeting?” It sounds nonchalant and innocuous but Changsub knows better. He narrows his eyes at Hyunsik's far too innocent smile.

Donggeun’s face lights up. “Oh yeah, tell us about it! What happened?” 

He takes one look at their eager faces and takes more deliberate bites, exaggerating his chewing. 

“Stop stalling, hyung!” Donggeun shoves his shoulder.

“Okay okay!” he says, mouthful of food. He swallows the rest of his food down and clears his throat. 

He begins recounts to his interaction with the actor: from his atrocious fashion sense (“It can’t be _that_ bad.” Donggeun rolls his eyes), his busy schedule (which Hyunsik confirmed that he really did go straight to the meeting from the airport, according to the Dispatch pictures of said ugly outfit in Incheon earlier today; Donggeun retracts his previous statement to Changsub's satisfaction), his bold _comedic_ introduction (“That’d be really good for the show though,” Hyunsik points out, “you just need to play along.”), to him scolding and giving Changsub the cold shoulder. 

“Oh.” Hyunsik and Donggeun both wince. 

“Yeah, ‘oh’.” Changsub crosses his arms. 

“Maybe,” Hyunsik frowns, “he’s just tired like Donggeun said. And because of that, he’s irritable?”

“And he just happens to turn on the charm when it’s work time?”

Donggeun shrugs. “It makes sense. Like when you’re so sleep deprived your body’s running on autopilot when you really just want to be in bed but instead you’re forced to work and socialize. I’d be a grouch too if I was in his shoes.”

“It’s a totally normal thing, hyung,” Hyunsik reassures, patting his shoulder. “He probably won’t remember talking to you. Don’t worry so much about this.”

“Yeah,” Changsub grumbles. He feels his appetite and mood dampen a little as he stares at the boiling budaejijigae with trepidation. The stew needs more broth. “You’re both right,” he sighs, dragging a hand down his face. “I’m just overthinking this: Sungjae’s just a zombie from sleep deprivation and he'll get it together during filming. I don't need to be friends with him; we just have to do our jobs and this whole,” he waves his hand vaguely, “gig will be over before we know it.”

His bandmates beam, giving him encouraging words as the topic comes to a close. And with that they all fill their glasses with soju, clink and tip them back, embracing the alcohol warming their throats and stomachs and enjoy each other’s company for the night.

Yeah, there’s nothing to worry about he thinks as he rambunctiously laughs at Hyunsik starting to sing with words beginning to slur with one another and Donggeun drumming on the bottles, pot, and glasses with chopsticks. He joins in on the fun, using his spoon as a makeshift mic and–

“Hyunsik, those aren’t the words!” 

“At least I didn’t crack my voice just now.”

“…Touché.” 

Everything will go smoothly and it’ll be over before he knows it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> itsbeen84years.gif 
> 
> i'm alive, this fic is still alive, hopefully your interest in this is still alive. it's been so long since i posted and i truly apologize about that- i didn't realize how big of a project this is and it stressed me out every time i thought 'oh you have to write this part too' even though.....i've only posted a prologue so far. and then there's life (work+school) which has been more or less a rollercoaster but that's not an excuse. anyways i do hope you enjoy this and have a wonderful day/night!


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